Snake room preview

This is how I get my kicks

I found an old recorder in my basement, and I was bored. Need I say more?

Where I've been

I've been meaning to post this update for a couple days now, but I just haven't been able to find the time! It's been a very exciting week over here.

Probably the most exciting development is that the chickens' new coop is installed! My dad came by on Saturday morning to get it loaded onto the cinder block foundation. It looks fantastic. It's a great feeling to have that undertaking out of the way. Next, I'll be getting the fencing for their run installed, and adding hotwire to the pasture to make it more predator-proof.





I've also spent several days clearing an obnoxious amount of brush from the woods on our property. Soon, I'll be putting up a 1/4 acre free-running yard for the dogs, and since it will extend about 20 feet into part of the woods, I decided to clear out the brush there so they'd have more room to romp and play.

Lastly, I had to make some improvements to the brooder box I've been using for the chicks. Turns out, the feeders and waterers that sit on the ground are just no good for chicks. They kick shavings into their food and water, not to mention poop in them. It was getting pretty gross, and even changing the feed and water 3 times a day wasn't helping. So, I popped out to Tractor Supply Co. and grabbed a new set made of plastic, and bolted them to the side of the brooder. I got some mealworms for the chickies too - which were, from the sound of things, much appreciated. :)

I'm not quite out of the woods yet, though. I received my much-awaited automatic misting kit for the green tree python colony today, so I figure the rest of tonight and tomorrow will be spent getting that installed. I wish the snakes were as appreciative as the chicks are, but I guess that's probably asking too much.

Oh, and by the way - the second log-pulling run of the day went much better. I hooked Willow up singly, and it seemed to make all the difference. Guess I have more work to do with Bandit yet.

Dogs pulling logs

This morning, I woke up to a light frosting of snow on the ground, and a very cold house. A few days ago, we ran out of heating oil for the second time this season, and me being the frugal type that I am, opted against getting more. I figured we could just use the heat pump since temperatures were warming up anyway.

Well, leave it to mother nature to put her own spin on things! The temperatures dropped suddenly yesterday, and hit below freezing overnight. Since our heat pump only works at 45 degrees or better, it was time to turn to our other alternative heat source, the good ol' fashioned fireplace.

It all started with an ironing board. Yep, an ironing-board-turned-dog-sled. It was the only reasonably flat item I could find to load up with firewood, and it actually held a fair-sized amount (enough for half a day's heat, anyway). A tugline and a couple bungees, and we were good to go:



The dogs both have trail miles under their belt when it comes to pulling light loads, but they were a little less than enthusiastic about hauling for real. They were pretty unsure, but with a little coaxing we were able to make it successfully from the barn to the house.



Afterwards, we all enjoyed the fruits of our labor, while I munched on some bagels and spent some quality time with the pups.

Denizens of the moss

Found this little guy while out clearing brush this afternoon. It's amazing to see something so green among all the spring mud!

Pet chickens

Freebie has grown an incredible amount in the last week. As you can see from the pics, she now has almost all her wing feathers, and her tail and back feathers are starting to appear. She still hates it when I reach down and pick her up, but she has now learned to roost successfully, which makes my arm a very comfy perching spot.

At times like this, she looks more like a little homely parrot than a chicken.

Sled dog in the making

Let me just start by saying that the harnesses were everything I had hoped for, and more! The folks over at Alpine Outfitters really outdid themselves. The harnesses I ordered are durable, very well-made, and look super comfy with the fleece padding and wide straps.

I spent the morning working on the basics with Willow. Willow will likely be my main lead dog; of the two, she's the one with more drive, enthusiasm and mental toughness, not to mention a major puller.

First, we worked on line-out, a command that tells the lead dog to stand and hold the line taut while the other dogs are hooked up behind him. Willow wasn't too impressed with that portion of the lesson:



To be honest, I'm not quite sure how to teach this yet. She did learn that a taut line equals yummy treats, but she didn't exactly learn how to hold the line taut in the right direction. Or hold it for longer than half a second. I guess that's our homework for the week.

The rest of the training went better, though! I've spent the last six months of Willow's life trying to teach her not to pull, so today I was faced with the dilemna of teaching her that it's OK to pull in the harness, but not on her collar. So, armed with the Gentle Leader collar, the harness, and the tugline, I hooked up a large piece of firewood to the back of the tugline, and proceeded to take her on a nice walk. She did amazing, kept the line taut at all times without worrying about the big noisy log dragging behind her, and kept her leash manners intact. It seemed to really satisfy her to be able to pull with her chest, but also walk nicely on her leash! I was amazed to see that her zig-zagging and general distraction level on the trail was greatly lessened. Instead, she focused on the task at hand, and did beautifully.

She earned herself quite a jackpot of treats when we returned home.

Signs of spring

Wheels and paws

I can't sleep. I'm sitting here absolutely lost in daydreams, because tomorrow morning, I get to pick up a very special set of items that I've been anxiously waiting over a month for:

One sled dog harness, with Willow's name sewn onto it.
One sled dog harness, with Bandit's name sewn onto it.
One 2-dog tugline and scooter attachment.

Yep, I'm stuck to my chair and unable to sleep because tomorrow morning, I will finally be entering the realm of the dog musher (on wheels, that is). For the past few months, I have been running Willow on a side rig attached to a mountain scooter. It's been awesome fun, and great exercise (for both of us, surprisingly), but I long to head out on trails with my two maniacs streaming out in front of me like the wind.

So, tomorrow will be the first day of their sled dog careers, with all the first-day-on-the-job training and certain frustration that accompanies such events. I'm excited, but not expecting miracles yet. It will definitely be a while before I'll feel safe hooking them up on the scooter for the first time.

Tomorrow I will post pics of their brand-new sled head gear. For now, here is Bandit, pictured in his much-less-snazzy walking harness and collar.

The strangest feeling

"I've got the strangest feeling that we're being watched..."

Featured are two of my three Ameracauna chicks. I absoluetly love these guys - everything from their chubby little faces to adorable speckled wings.

Also, I'm very fortunate to have the most laid-back, civilized city-slicker cats in all of Medina County. They're intrigued by the chicks, but they just don't think to make the connection between the chicks and the label on their cat food can. In fact, just after taking this photo, Ghost sauntered away, flopped over on the concrete pad and proceeded to roll around. If there's anything that cat loves, it's concrete. She'll even turn down an easy chicken dinner for it.

Chamomile, day 2

Just two days from the previous photo, and look how big the chamomile sprouts have grown!



The broccoli, thyme, and oregano seeds have sprouted too, but I'm still waiting on the peppers and sage. Tonight, I'm starting another round of broccoli for a staggered harvest later this year.

Between the chicks and the sprouts, I'm amazed by the mad rush of life and growth that is happening all around me. The sprouts are doubling in size every day, and the 1-week-old chicks seem to wake up with new feathers every morning. It's as if everything on the farm is racing into spring, rushing to grow and take hold while the time is right. Times like this make me feel as though I am only a spectator, watching life's cycles rush below me in fast-motion.

Spring green

The first seedlings that I started last week have begun to sprout! The German Chamomile seeds were the first ones out of the gate. I can't believe that in a few short weeks, I'll be transplanting these microscopic plantlings into their new home on my deck.

They put the "howl" in Hoof & Howl

What looks like a coyote, howls like a wolf, loves belly rubs and scrambled eggs, can pull a sled at 18 mph, and offers the best welcoming party I could ever hope for?



That would be Willow and Bandit, our two Husky mixes rescued from local shelters. They are cherished family members, as well as sled-dogs, and classic farm mutts - joyful, opinionated and just a little bit unruly. And did I say hyper? Bred to run, these guys aren't truly happy until their faces are pressed into the wind, tongues lolling, feet tracking along in unison, tails streaming.

Which definitely makes for some interesting "walks".

Not now, I'm practicing my Zen

I found this little guy sitting on the edge of my pond this morning, apparently meditating on the wonders of life and the grandness of my side yard.

(The truth of the matter is, I discovered a riot of frogs gathered in a nearby creek last night, making a cacophony of chirps and calls. I dipped in my net, came up with a few little frogs, and let them loose in my pond. So, in truth, he was probably meditating on how the heck he ended up on the other side of the woods.)



I crept up behind him slowly, as to not disturb his deep contemplation... at this point I was very surprised that he didn't hop back into the pond.



Amazingly, he didn't eve budge when I shoved the lens right into his face and captured this shot. I suppose he was too deeply lost in his little frog thoughts. He really was quite a beautiful little frog, with shimmering copper and glittery metallic green tones. After some research, I was able to identify him as a wood frog.

I said I wouldn't name them, but...

The chicks are starting to acquire names. I don't know how this happened, but as of today, several of the chicks have been spontaneously christened.

There's Freebie, of course, aptly named because she came out of a leftover chick bin. Then there's Little Red, the adorable Ameracauna chick who is the sweetest of the bunch. Runt is the pathetic name given to the tiny Black Star chick who lost some of her feathers on the way out of her egg. Then there's Chipmunk - another Ameracauna, and Turken Lurken the Naked-Neck chick.

I'm sure by the end of the week, each one will have earned a name. As of right now, I am very very glad that these aren't meat birds!

Chicks have arrived!

The farm's first batch of chicks arrived yesterday afternoon. Everyone around here is very excited to see them - including our resident felines! Surprisingly, the cats seem to treat the cats with respect as long as I'm supervising the interactions. I wouldn't dream of leaving them alone together, though!

Pictured is little Freebie, a White-Crested Black Polish hen (yes, that's a mouthful) who was a chick orphan at the feed store. She was ordered by someone, but they never came and picked her up. So, I scooped up the little fuzzball and added her to my box. Somehow, the hatchery forgot to add her to my order, so I ended up getting her for free. I didn't realize until I got home and checked my receipt.

Even though she is a week older than the others, they all seem to get along well. I can't wait to see them with their adult feathers coming in - especially Freebie with her little fluffy top hat.

Welcome!

Just thought I'd take a moment and welcome all you online travelers to the photo blog of Hoof and Howl Farm, a tiny 3-acre homestead nestled in the woods of Northeast Ohio. I'll be posting photos and little tidbits that showcase life on our small hobby farm. Everything here is still in its infancy, so I'm inviting you all along to enjoy the ride with us. Thanks for checking us out, and I hope you'll visit again soon!